Herbs & Remedies for Winter

By: Tim Wong

Some fresh herbs work better when bruised or wilted to extract essential nutrients and release aroma.

Even after Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, and the New Year it can be a hectic time during winter especially with all the elaborate party planning, continuous family get-togethers, and especially, less and less daylight to ease the mood. Here are some tips and nutritional info on herbs and remedies, as well a chai recipe for you to use to rest and renew this 2-0-2-3.

Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub native to Asia and Africa, it is commonly used for stress.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), also known as Indian Ginseng, is a herb used in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India. It is known for having a “horsey smell” and is said to confer the strength and virility of a horse. In Sanskrit, ashva means “horse” and gandha means “smell.” Ashwagandha is best known as an ‘adaptogen’ for its anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and stress relieving effects, reducing cortisol and with growing evidence—as a sleeping aid—improving total sleep time and the quality of sleep in people with or without insomnia.

There is preliminary evidence Ashwagandha can improve VO2max, muscle strength, support and power as well as fertility in men, although not enough research has been done on the herb to make these claims conclusive. Ashwagandha can be consumed as a powder or in capsule form, anywhere from 250-600 mg/day of the root extract. The most common dosing protocol is 600 mg/day divided into two doses, one in the morning with breakfast and the other in the evening.

Yerba mate leaves are hand harvested by yerbateros (cultivators) from small farms & indigenous communities in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) are the naturally caffeinated leaves of a native species of holly tree found deep in the South American Atlantic rainforest. In traditional settings, the leaves are typically dried and ground, a gourd is filled with mate leaves and hot water to steep and then the yerba mate is ready to be consumed. Yerba mate is known to relieve fatigue, aid in weight loss, ease depression, and helps treat headaches and other various conditions, it is a good source of antioxidants, magnesium, vitamin C and zinc.

Prepare yerba mate as you would with any other type of tea, add a handful of leaves to a frenchpress, tea pot or tea diffuser and steep in hot water for a few minutes then consume. As yerba mate is known to have natural caffeine even when diluted by hot water as a herbal tea, you should be modest with consumption as with all caffeinated drinks like coffee or energy drinks.

The roots, leaves, stems and blossoms of the mugwort plant are all used in different tinctures, extracts, tonics, teas, powders and essential oils.

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is a flowering sage-coloured plant native to northern Europe, Asia and parts of North America. It is a common weed and related to ragweed, so people who are allergic to one may be affected by the other as well. Purported benefits of mugwort include stress, headache and muscle relief, providing energy, improving sleep and blood circulation, supporting liver health, increasing urine output, easing digestion and normalizing menstrual cycles for women.

The parts of the mugwort above the root are used to make essential oils, compounds present include—camphor, pinene, and cineole—said to have potent antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal effects. A chemical called artemisinin is found throughout the plant, when consumed is said to cause gentle contractions of the uterus, which promote regular periods. With that being said, pregnant women should avoid consuming mugwort because uterine contractions could lead to a miscarriage.

Mugwort is used in cooking to flavour foods and beverages as well as a common flavouring for beer prior to the discovery of hops. There is no recommended dose for mugwort in any form but a common beverage is Mugwort (Lucid Dream) Tea, where you steep 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of dried mugwort in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes and consume.

An Indian Masala chai can vary in terms of ingredients most times can be the perfect herbal drink.

Chai literally means “tea” in Hindi, so it’s often humorous to hear someone ordering a “chai tea” at a café or coffee stall. While there’s no definite recipe for a classic cup of chai, most will agree the mixture should contain crushed ginger, crushed cardamom, lemongrass, cloves and cinnamon along with your favourite loose black tea blend. Surprisingly, chai actually has more polyphenols than most fruits and vegetables, meaning that drinking a cup of chai on a daily basis can help protect your body’s overall cellular health. This can be thanks to cloves and cinnamon which rank among the herbs with highest antioxidant levels and chai contains both these spices.

Chai has many benefits including strong amounts of caffeine from black tea that can wake you up in the morning; ginger which aids in improving digestion; alleviating nausea; and inflammation through circulation and delivering oxygen to your organs; cardamom for detoxification and vitamin C; as well as cinnamon, for heart health in lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Below we have an amazing masala chai recipe for you to try making at home, you can find all the ingredients at your local Amaranth store!

Masala Chai Recipe

Ingredients

For Chai Masala Powder

40g Cardamom Pods

20g Cloves

20g Whole Black Peppercorns

8g Cinnamon Sticks

10g Fennel Seeds

30g Ginger

6 Holy Basil (Tulsi) Seeds

1/2 Nutmeg Piece

For Two Cups of Chai

2 cups Water

4 tsp Loose Black Tea Leaves (we recommend Assam, Darjeeling or Ceylon)

1/2 tsp Chai Masala Powder (prepared above)

1 cup Milk (you can use any type of plant-based milk)

2 tsp Sugar

Instructions

1. In a heavy-bottomed pan, dry roast the cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and fennel seeds until fragrant, set aside in bowl.

2. Break apart ginger into pieces, dry roast until fragrant and set aside in the same bowl of spices above.

3. Add holy basil (tulsi) seeds, nutmeg and roast well.

4. Cool all spices completely, and transfer to blender.

5. Blend until the mixture becomes a slightly coarse powder, the chai masala powder is ready. You can store it in an airtight container and use it for a month.

Prepare the Chai

1. Add water, loose black tea leaves, and chai masala mixture in a saucepan.

2. Bring mixture to a boil for 4 minutes.

3. Add milk and sugar to the mixture, bring it to another boil.

4. Once the mixture has reached a second boil, take off heat and strain the mixture to remove spices and tea leaves. Serve and enjoy!